Ask The Brewmasters

Good afternoon, I am reaching out to see if anyone can direct me in the right direction to ask about what options I have for ensuring quality in a canned NA product.  Pasteurization may be off the table for the short term while we develop this product.  We are currently using pH, fermentation, and a healthy hop dose to keep our beer safe in package.  IS there any resources about this?  Does anyone have any advice to make sure that we packaging a safe product for the consumer.   Thanks

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Landon Swanson
Head Brewer
Pueblo Vida Brewing
Tucson AZ
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What is the product? NA beer or something else? (seltzer, tea, etc.)
I've been a fan of Velcorin, but I'm working with NA fruited seltzer.

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Charles Black
Director of Regional Operations
Cann & Botl
Cranston RI
(508) 439-0008
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Original Message:
Sent: 5/17/2023 10:23:00 AM
From: Charles Black
Subject: RE: Post Package safety Concerns in NA products

What is the product? NA beer or something else? (seltzer, tea, etc.)
I've been a fan of Velcorin, but I'm working with NA fruited seltzer.

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Charles Black
Director of Regional Operations
Cann & Botl
Cranston RI
(508) 439-0008
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There's a study that has been shared here a few times that has shown that gram positive bacteria like Listeria and Staph aren't much of a concern in NA beer, but that gram negatives like E. Coli and Salmonella could potentially survive.  I can share that with you.  I think the only way to really eliminate the risk is by using something like tunnel pasteurization or preservatives.  Otherwise I think there would always be small risk of potential food born illness.

Saw someone else mention Velcorin, but I've been told that it's not compatible with NA beer because of the proteins interfering with it's mode of action.

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Jason Weihbrecht
GM of Brewery Operations
Oskar Blues Brewery
Brevard NC
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Hey Landon,

We are currently working on and testing techniques using other preservatives such as sodium benzoate and Potassium Sorbate. I would stay away from Velcorin as it can be a hazard to work with if you don't have the right training and equipment as it can be very hazardous. I would also make sure your PH is lower than 4.5 as anything above that can allow some pathogenic bacteria to survive. Also if you want to talk or get any more data from the trials we are conducting please reach out by email or phone and we can chat. 

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Ryan Bross
Laboratory Quality Manager
Surly Brewing Co
Minneapolis MN
rbross@surlybrewing.com
414-460-3093
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Hello Landen, Other than pasteurization, avenues to ensure a microbiologically and physically safe package with NA include sulfite/sorbate additions, Velcorin, absolute sterile filtration/filling operations with HEPA filtration, and designing the beer such that the amount of any residual fermentable sugar will not produce a total carbonation level beyond what the can manufacturer specifies, or that may result in an exploding can when stored someone's car trunk on a hot day! Best to use a combination of these barriers, not just one. Personally, I would not be comfortable packaging a NA beverage without a tunnel pasteurizer if it's going be widely distributed. Have fun,

Jeff

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Jeff Biegert
Research and Development
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
New Belgium Brewing Co
Fort Collins CO
(970) 221-0524
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Few things to note on this subject with the first being that while approved for use in wine, I don't believe Velcorin is approved for use in beer.

I highly recommend working with a process authority to anyone who is producing NA products. Here is a link to help locate a process authority, Food Processing Authorities Directory

 
Without the hurdle of alcohol to prevent pathogenic growth, non-alcohol products should really be thought of as more of a food product when considering the necessary food safety controls. All breweries must register with the FDA and follow GMPs at a minimum but other requirements kick in when NA products are more than 5% of production, and state-by-state permitting requirements vary as well. Additionally, the Brewers Association has a few resources on this subject, this one in particular is a great place to start, https://www.brewersassociation.org/educational-publications/non-alcohol-beer-a-review-and-key-considerations/. Athletic gave a comprehensive presentation on this topic at CBC this year and will be available online in the near future.

For the regulatory compliance side of things, page 4 of this doc is helpful for NA products. https://www.brewersassociation.org/educational-publications/fda-registration-food-safety-modernization-act-fsma-compliance-flow-chart/

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Katie Fromuth
Brewers Association
Boulder CO
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